Accra (Greater Accra), 19th July 99 ?

Parliament on Friday adopted reports of two credit facilities, one on the loan agreement between Ghana and ABN-Amro Bank NV of the Netherlands and the other on the export credit facility from the ING Bank of the Netherlands.

The facility from the ABN-Amro Bank NV is for an amount of 31,255,724 Guilders to finance the rehabilitation and expansion of the Accra-Tema Water Supply Project.

An amount of 9,958,000 Guilders from the ING Bank would also help finance the Winneba Water Supply Project.

Mr Emmanuel Baah-Danquah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Asutifi North and a member of the Finance Committee moved both motions on behalf of its chairman, with secondment from Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, NPP-Afigya Sekyere West.

Mr Baah-Danquah said he regretted that notwithstanding the production capacity of the Weija Water Works, various parts of the service area are still facing problems of acute water shortages.

He said the Accra-Tema water supply is currently experiencing a daily shortfall of about 25 million gallons of water.

The member intimated that the shortfall would increase to 43 and 97 million gallons of water in the years 2000 and 2015 respectively if no action is taken to address the problem.

He said the loan would be used exclusively to finance 65 per cent of the total cost of the Rehabilitation and Expansion of the Adam Clark Water Treatment Plant at Weija.

It would involve increasing its design capacity of 15 million gallons daily to 30 million gallons.

Mr Baah-Danquah said laxity in payment for and management of water resources, poor monitoring of unaccounted water due to illegal connections, leakage and poor revenue collection mainly caused by under-billing and the refusal of some consumers to pay water bills, have contributed to the rampant water shortage.

He observed that the Winneba Water Supply Project constitutes a major component of the high priority National Water Resources Development Programme currently being pursued by government in its efforts to ensure regional and national development.

The amount is to be used to finance the replacement and the augmentation of the water supply system in Winneba and its surrounding areas.

The member said the project would ultimately not only provide the people with potable water and help to improve their living conditions, but it would also boost both economic and social activities within the township.

Members on both sides of the house contributed to the debate on the two motions.

Winding up Mr Isaac Adjei-Mensah, Minister of Works and Housing thanked the members for their concerns.

The House also adopted the Report from the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the Environmental Assessment Regulations 1999, Legislative Instrument 1652.

Nana Akufo Addo, Chairman of the committee, who moved the motion said he hoped that the passing of the legislation would bring about an effective control of the environment to ensure its proper utilisation.